Music For Life Foundation, Inc.

What Music For Life Foundation, Inc. does

Music For Life Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer nonprofit organization founded in October 2010 by Leo Daquioag and headquartered in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The organization focuses on supporting music education in Hawaii schools and communities, with a particular emphasis on ukulele-based programs. Its core initiatives include the 'Uke-Lending program (ukeles available for loan at all 51 Hawaii State Public Libraries, completed December 2021), Jake's Clubhouse (an on-campus music classroom at Ala Wai Elementary School dedicated October 2, 2018), 'Ukulele Hana Hou! (a 5-stage program to locate, repair, and return damaged school ukuleles), Da Mele Ukulele Project (free instruments and lessons in underserved communities), BringBackdaBand! (restoring school band programs), Rhythm of Da Islands (workshops on neighbor islands), Da Beat Goes On (instrument donation drives), and Youth-On-Stage (performance opportunities at Hard Rock Cafe-Honolulu). The organization is supported by partnerships with the Hawaii State Public Library System, Kamaka Hawaii, Kala Brand Music Co., Blue Note-Hawaii, Hard Rock Cafe-Honolulu, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and Kula No Po'e Hawai'i, with Jake Shimabukuro serving as Honorary Board Director.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform and operates entirely as a volunteer-led program delivery entity. Its distribution is built on direct institutional partnerships with public schools, the statewide public library system, and community centers; it does not sell products or services. All programs and services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. The organization relies on donations, in-kind contributions (e.g., hundreds of Kala Brand ukuleles, Kamaka instruments), corporate sponsorships (Hard Rock Cafe-Honolulu charity pins), and grassroots fundraising events including two Guinness World Record attempts for largest ukulele ensemble in 2011 and 2012.

Revenue is generated exclusively through donations from corporate partners, private foundations, and individuals, with no publicly disclosed financials or funding rounds. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, leveraging celebrity endorsement, earned media coverage, social media, and venue-based events to raise awareness and donations. Recent strategic actions include the May 2025 opening of the New Kamaka Community Center and a planned Fall 2026 expansion of the lending program to include guitars, keyboards, and percussion instruments.

Name

Music For Life Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

Music For Life Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://musicforlifefound.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Music For Life Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer nonprofit in Hawaii that supports music education by providing free ukuleles, instrument repairs, lending programs, and performance opportunities to public schools, libraries, and underserved communities statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Music Education Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA), Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG)

Keywords

• Music education programs
• Ukulele lending services
• Musical instrument donation
• Nonprofit community programs
• Youth music outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Kaneohe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying entirely on donations from corporate partners, private foundations, and individuals. No paid services or products are sold.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Music For Life Foundation is a 100% all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free musical instruments, instrument repair, music education support, and performance opportunities to Hawaii students, schools, public libraries, and underserved communities. Core offerings include statewide ukulele lending through all 51 Hawaii public libraries, on-campus music classrooms (Jake's Clubhouse), a 5-stage ukulele repair and return initiative ('Ukulele Hana Hou!), free ukulele distribution and lessons for underserved children (Da Mele Ukulele Project), school band program restoration (BringBackdaBand!), and periodic donation drives (Da Beat Goes On). All services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries and funded entirely through donations, fundraising, and in-kind contributions from partners such as Kala Brand Music Co. and Kamaka Hawaii.

Product overview

Music For Life Foundation is a 100% all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on music education empowerment in Hawaii. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs: 'Uke-Lending provides ukuleles for loan at all 51 Hawaii public libraries; Jake's Clubhouse offers an on-campus music classroom at Ala Wai Elementary School; 'Ukulele Hana Hou! repairs damaged school ukuleles through a 5-stage process; Da Mele Ukulele Project provides free instruments and lessons to underserved communities; BringBackdaBand! restores school music programs; and Da Beat Goes On conducts instrument donation drives. These programs work together to support music education in schools, provide access to instruments for community members, and create performance opportunities for aspiring young musicians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jake's Clubhouse: On-campus music classroom and gathering place for Ala Wai Elementary School students, officially designated 'The Jake Shimabukuro Clubhouse for Music Learning and Appreciation.' Features ukuleles, musical instruments, sound equipment, a dedicated ukulele instruction area, and a small performance stage.
• Ukulele Hana Hou!
• Play4M.E. (Music Education)

Quantifiable outcome

• ukuleles provided to all 51 Hawaii public libraries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and supporting.

• Hawaii State Public Library SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partnership for 'Uke-Lending program; Music For Life Foundation provides ukuleles to all 51 public libraries statewide for patron lending; project goal was to make ukulele-playing accessible to all Hawaii residents; library launch events conducted across the state with final library completion December 22, 2021
• Jake ShimabukuroflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkulele virtuoso serves as Honorary Board Director and co-directs projects including 'Uke-Lending and 'Ukulele Hana Hou; completed personal challenge of repairing 100 Kamaka ukuleles in 2016; namesake of Jake's Clubhouse classroom; ongoing partnership with Ala Wai School; opened New Kamaka Community Center in May 2025
• Kala Brand Music Co.majorOthersDonates hundreds of ukuleles for ongoing initiatives including school repairs and Hawaii Public Libraries lending program; The Waterman series ukuleles provided for library lending due to durability and water resistance
• Blue Note-HawaiisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational-brand performance venue partnership providing resources for music performances and education; ongoing partnership with Music For Life Foundation, Kamaka Hawaii, and Ala Wai School for musical instrument collection and donation drives
• Kamaka HawaiicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIconic Hawaii ukulele manufacturer; partnered with Jake Shimabukuro and MFLF for 100th anniversary commemoration (100 ukuleles repaired); ongoing partnership for musical instrument collection and donation drives
• Hard Rock Cafe-HonolulusupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational-brand performance venue; hosts Youth-On-Stage program for young musicians; charity merchandise (pins) sold to support Music For Life Foundation initiatives
• Ala Wai Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership to keep music alive in education; principal Michelle DeBusca authorized and supports on-campus music classroom (Jake's Clubhouse) established October 2, 2018 for all students
• Hawaii Performing Arts FestivalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbor island school support partnership; donated ukuleles to Kealakehe Intermediate School's new music program on Hawaii's Big Island
• Kula No Po`e Hawai`isupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization at Papakōlea; recognized Music For Life Foundation's support for art empowerment and music enlivenment for children of Papakōlea community; Da Mele Ukulele Project implemented at this location
• New Kamaka Community CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew community center opening May 1, 2025 in partnership with Music For Life Foundation and Jake Shimabukuro; will offer music classes and private sessions; evening invitational reception held for opening

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock): Nonprofit providing free instruments and modern band-style music education to underserved public schools; mirrors MFLF's mission of equity-of-access to music programs and instruments in K-12 settings.
• Hungry for Music: Nonprofit that collects, repairs, and redistributes used musical instruments to underserved youth and schools; directly parallel to MFLF's 'Ukulele Hana Hou! repair-and-return and Da Beat Goes On donation drives.
• Sing for Hope: Nonprofit placing artist-created instruments and arts programming in underserved communities; shares with MFLF the model of community-embedded music access, artist engagement, and celebrity-driven visibility.
• Education Through Music: Nonprofit partnering with school districts to provide music as part of the core curriculum for under-served students; comparable to MFLF's school-embedded programs like Jake's Clubhouse at Ala Wai Elementary.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: National nonprofit that donates musical instruments and supports music education in underfunded K-12 public schools; directly comparable to MFLF's school instrument donation and repair programs (Jake's Clubhouse, Uke-Lending, Hana Hou).
• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: Foundation that donates instruments and resources to restore music programs in public schools; both organizations target the same problem MFLF solves (music program elimination in schools) through instrument provision and program support.
• The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (Kala partnership): Music instrument donation nonprofit with established manufacturer partnerships similar to MFLF's relationship with Kala Brand Music Co., underscoring the instrument-donation-program niche MFLF occupies.

Others

• Kala Brand Music Co. Major ukulele manufacturer that donates hundreds of instruments to MFLF; comparable as a strategic supplier/ecosystem partner in the ukulele-based music education value chain rather than a direct operational peer.

Emerging players

• Musicians On Call: Nonprofit bringing live and recorded music to hospital patients and community spaces; overlaps with MFLF on music accessibility and volunteer-driven community music programming, but focused on healthcare settings rather than schools.

Regional players

• Hawaii Community Foundation: Hawaii's largest community grantmaking foundation funding arts, education, and community programs; comparable as a Hawaii-anchored philanthropic funding source and peer ecosystem member for MFLF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=aLiPNqvuApw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/music-for-life-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Music For Life Foundation, Inc.